Divine Appointment: The Story of Shirley’s Chair

I serve as a call center specialist for NCBAM. In July, I received a call from Kim Hall in Kannapolis, who wanted to donate a very nice lift chair to NCBAM’s durable medical equipment ministry. I told Kim we would love to have it. We are always grateful when people drop off donated equipment, but we didn’t have a way to pick up the chair in Kannapolis.

Kim said she first wanted to have the chair cleaned, and she and her husband Joe could deliver it to the NCBAM office in Thomasville on Saturday. The weather didn’t cooperate, and we had to postpone delivery until the last Saturday of the month.

Meanwhile, I received a voicemail from Shirley Lindley, who was in need of a lift chair. I noticed the call came from area code 704—the same as Kim’s. I thought it would be awesome if I could somehow get the chair delivered directly to Shirley. I reached out to NCBAM team member and retired pastor Robert Leonard, who has contacts in Kannapolis. Robert recommended I contact Bennett Cook. Bennett graciously offered to coordinate all the logistics and recruit who he would need to pick up the chair from Kim and deliver it to Shirley!

Kim was thrilled when I told her that a retired pastor in Kannapolis had found a volunteer who would pick up her chair and deliver it directly to Shirley. Kim asked, “Is this retired pastor Robert Leonard?” I said, “Why, yes, it is! Do you also happen to know Bennett Cook?” I was amazed when she answered, “Yes, I do. I used to go to church with Bennett.”

Kim and Joe assisted Bennett in getting the chair from their home in Kannapolis to Shirley’s den in Newton. I later received this message from Kim: “Shirley kept saying how much she appreciated us bringing this to her and how it matched her den. Her couch had burgundy flowers, and she had burgundy curtains up. God is so good! He knew it would match her other furniture. I prayed with Shirley and asked her if she knew Jesus and had Him in her heart, and she said, ‘Yes!’”

We are blessed in the Call Center to see God working every day through the kindness of His people. From Kim’s willingness to donate the chair to the coordinated efforts of Robert and Bennett, each person played a role in blessing Shirley’s life. We are constantly amazed how the Lord orchestrates these moments, bringing people together to serve those in need. Shirley’s new chair wasn’t just a piece of furniture; it was a tangible expression of God’s provision and grace.

Written by Ronnie Beane, Call Center Specialist, NCBAM